Marine torch.



No. 650,2l0. Patented May 22, |900. W. J. WILSON.

MARINETORCH.

(Application tiled Feb. 7, 1899.)

Wifi/765565 l Alia/wey.

EA-TES f ATENE EEHIE.

WILLIAM J'. WILSON, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, RY

MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE AMERICAN ILLUMINATINGSHELL OOM- EANY- on BALTIMORE OITY, OE MARYLAND.

MARINE TORCH.

SPECIFICATION 'Qrming part Of Letters Patent N0. 650,210, dated May 22, 1900. Application tiled February 7,1899. Se'rial No. 704,788. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Phila.- delphia, in the county of Philadelphia and y State Of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Illuminating-Projectiles, of which the following is a specication.

This'invention consists in a torch adapted lo to oat and to ignite when thrown into Water either by hand orfrom a gun. The torch comprises a casing for inclosing illuminating material and an ignitin g device which is preferably adapted to spontaneously ignite the I5 illuminant in the presence of water. In its preferred form the casing will be charged with 'carbid of calcium and provided with one or more perforations thron gh which the water may pass to the carbid and eect the general 2o tion of acetylene gas when the shell is wholly or partially submerged. Preferably the shell is provided with an air or gas chamber to cause it to float and with suitablegas-burners above said chamber. The carbid is located in the lower or submerged portion ofthe shell and the water enters under its own pressure.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in \vhich- Figure ll is a longitudinal section of a progo jectile embodying theinvention, the two ends being represented in side view. Fig. 2 is -a section on Vline 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the movable partition.. Fig. et is a sectional View of the burner end ofthe projectile with bader-block, cap, and all parts in the position theyoccupy when the article is in condition for storage.

or end view of the burner end of the-project-y ile as seen when the cap, buEer-block, and

4o screw-cap of the potassium-chamber are removed. Fig. 6 is a side view of the block that secures the time-fuse; and Fig. 7 is a side view of the projectile on a smaller scale in v'the vertical position it takes when oating in the water, the line w' indicating the surface of the water.

erably made of metal and cylindrical in form. It contains a chamber B for the storage of Fig. 5 is a lany terior spiral groove lo, The bodyA of the shell or projectile is pref lcarbid of calcium and an air-'tight or gas-tiglit chamber C, separated from the carbid-chamber by a movable partition D, which is held in place by frictio'nal contact with the inner Wall of the shell. The forward end E ofthe projectile is cone-shaped and, as shown, is connected with the cylindrical body -A by a screw-joint a, a gasket b'being provided to make the joint air-tight. A suitable inlet or passage c for water extends fromthe point to and through the head of the cone part into the carbid-chamber. When the projectile is not in use, this inlet is closed air-tight by a screw-cap d on the point.

to insure that when fired` the projectile will make an accurate flight and also to cause it to float upright, asv shown in Fig. 7. Near thevother end of the projectile the gas-chamber C is closed lby a partition e, and on the exterior of the partitiona chamber'eisformed, wherein are located the burnersf, which open through the partition e. A chamber g, also on the exqterior, contains metallic potassium in the form of balls or lumps g' and coal-,oil to preserve the potassium from oxidation. The potassium is confined in the chamber by a wire-gauze diaphragm h, and the coal-oil is conned by a screw-cap z', which has inside a packing of cork or other suitable elastic stopper material t" to seal it tightly.

A time-fuse j, consisting of a lead tube charged with powder, has one end j free and in position to be bent into the potassium- Achamber when the screw-cap 1l hasibeen removed a'nd the other endj2 secured to one of the burners f,adjacent its gas-aperture. The fuse-tube j must be of sufficient length to give the requisite time for lighting after Iiring-say half a minute or a minute-and this requires that it be disposed in the exterior chamber by coiling. The coils of the fuse must not be in contact with each other, and to thuskeep them separate, a ring-shaped block F is employed. This block has an ex; in which the coils of the fuse fit.r It will be seen that the threads 7c' of the block F it closely in contact with the inner wall of the shell-chamber, and, thus This cone end is Y Weighted by means of lead or other metal a:-

the coils are kept perfectly separated. The l lene gas will begin to generate. The gas will fuse extends from its endj adjacent the potassium-chamber to the lowermost one of the spiral grooves, or that groove nearest the partition e, and then winds around the block F until its end j2 comes out adjacent to a burner. When the projectile is floating in the water, its point E is downward, and this position insures that the fuse in the coils will burn from the lowermost coil upward.

The ring-shaped block F is confined in its shell-chamber by simply crimping or contracting thZe circular wall of the cylinderat its end, as at A buler-bloek G is employed when firing to loosely cover the end of the burner-chamber. This block merely separates the end of the projectile from the charge of powder employed in the gun, and the block drops oft or separates from the projectile while the latter is making its flight through the air. In order to protect the fuse and potassium and to seal the burner end of the projectile air-tight while the projectile is in storage and also to temporarily confine the buder-block G in position, a cap H is employed to cover the entire butt-end of the projectile. This cap is seen in Figs. 1 and 4, and its rim-flange is crimped,as at Z', on the contracted pal-tl of the cylinder-wall and may be secured by a soft solder. This cap H at the butt-end and the screw-cap d at the point keep the projectile air-tight and water-tight until it is desired to use it. Vhen the projectile is stored for keeping, the carbid, the potassium, and the fuse will all be maintained in good condition for an indefinite period ot` time, and thus the efficiency of the projectile is assured.

The operation of the invention is as follows: Vhen it is desired to use one of the projectiles, the cap H on the butt-end must be removed. The buEer-block G is lifted, and the screw-cap i, that seals the potassium-chamber, is also removed. The coal-oil is then poured Outland the free end j of the fusetube bent over into the potassium-chamber. The screw-cap cl on the point is also removed. As already stated, the potassium will now be prevented from escaping by the wire-gauze diaphragm h. The buferblock G should then be reseated loosely and the projectile put in the gun. When the gun has been fired,the

projectile will at first plunge under water-,and

the potassium confined in the chamber g becoming Wet will spontaneously ignite the end j of the fuse. The projectile will floatand assume an upright position in the Water, the burner end uppermost and projecting above the Water-line, which will be approximately at w. (See Fig. 7.) The water will enter the inlet c in the lower end and will act on the carbid of calcium in the chamberB-,and acetyfll chamber C and then pass through the burners, and the fuse end j2 will ignite the gas of one burner. The lire will then communicate tothe gas escaping from the other burners. As lthe carbid is gradually exhausted it swells or expands in bulk,and the partition D will thereby be moved upward or toward the burners. Thus the partition while the projectile is in storage will confine the carbid closely and prevent it from rattling, and yet will yield when the carbid expands by the action of Water.

An ordinary shell may contain sufficient carbid to produce a light from one to live hours.

Having thus described my invention,`what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A marine torch, comprising, in combination, a casing having an internal space or chamber for illuminating material, an exterior burner in communication with said internal chamber, a chemi'caligniter, and a fuse extending from the igniter to the burner.

2. A marine torch comprising, in combination, a chamber charged with carbid of calcium, a water-inlet to said chamber, a gasburner communicating with the carbid-cham- I ber, a chamber containing a chemical-igniter,

and a fuse communicating from the igniter to the burner. h

3. Amarine torch comprising, in combination, a chamber charged with carbid of calcium, a water-inlet to said carbid-chamber, a gas-burner communicating with the upper end of the carbid-chamber, and au air-tight chamber adjacent the gas-burner containing metallic potassium and coal-oil to preserve the said potassium from oxidation.

Il. A marine torch comprising, in combination, a chamber charged with carbid of calcium, a water-inlet to said chamber, a gasburner, a chamber containing metallic potassium, a block provided with a spiral groove, and a tube-fuse coiled in the spiralgroove of said block and communicating from the potassium-chamber to the gas-burner.

5. A marine torch comprising, in combina- Ation, a shell forming a carbid-chamber, a water-inlet to said chamber, a gas-burner, me-

tallic potassium confined adjacent the burnfv ers with a preservative for the potassium, and a fuse communicating from the potassium to the burner.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM J. VILSON.

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